Composer: Richard Wagner
Performer: Matti Salminen, Steve Davislim, Ricarda Merbeth, Robert Dean Smith, Silvia Hablowetz, Albert Dohmen, Berlin Radio Choir
Orchestra: Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Marek Janowski
Number of Discs: 2
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Pentatone
Catalogue: PTC5186400
Release: 2011
Size: 2.15 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Der fliegende Holländer
CD 01
01. Ouverture
02. Act I Scene 1: Introduction – Hojohe! Hallojo! Hojoha! Ho! (Chorus)
03. Act I Scene 1: Mit Gewitter und Sturm aus fernem Meer (Steuermann)
04. Act I Scene 2: Aria: Die Frist ist um (Hollander)
05. Act I Scene 2: Wie oft in Meeres tiefsten Schlund (Hollander)
06. Act I Scene 3: Chorus and Duet: He! Holla! Steuermann! (Daland, Steuermann, Hollander)
07. Act I Scene 3: Durch Sturm und bosen Wind verschlagen (Hollander, Daland)
08. Act I Scene 3: Wie? Hort’ ich recht? Meine Tochter sein Weib? (Daland, Hollander)
09. Act I Scene 3: Sudwind! Sudwind! (Steuermann, Matrosen, Daland, Hollander)
10. Act I Scene 3: Mit Gewitter und Sturm (Chorus)
11. Act II Scene 4: Summ und brumm, du gutes Radchen (Chorus, Mary)
12. Act II Scene 4: Du boses Kind, wenn du nicht spinnst (Mary, Chorus, Senta)
13. Act II Scene 4: Johohoe! Traft ihr das Schiff im Meere an (Senta)
14. Act II Scene 4: Ach! Wo weilt sie (Chorus, Senta, Mary)
15. Act II Scene 4: Senta! Senta! Willst du mich verderben? (Erik, Chorus, Mary, Senta)
16. Act II Scene 5: Duet: Bleib, Senta! Bleib nur einen Augenblick! (Erik, Senta)
17. Act II Scene 5: Auf hohem Felsen lag ich traumend (Erik, Senta)
CD 02
01. Act II Scene 6: Mein Kind, du siehst mich auf der Schwelle (Daland, Senta)
02. Act II Scene 6: Mogst du, mein Kind, den fremden Mann willkommen heissen (Daland)
03. Act II Scene 6: Duet: Wie aus der Ferne langst vergang’ner Zeiten (Hollander, Senta)
04. Act II Scene 6: Wirst du des Vaters Wahl nicht schelten? (Hollander, Senta)
05. Act II Scene 6: Ein heil’ger Balsam meinen Wunden (Hollander, Senta)
06. Act II Scene 6: Verzeiht! Mein Volk halt draussen sich nicht mehr (Daland, Senta, Hollander)
07. Act II: Orchestral Interlude
08. Act III Scene 7: Steuermann, lass die Wacht! (Chorus)
09. Act III Scene 7: Mein! Seht doch an! (Chorus, Steurmann)
10. Act III Scene 7: Johohohe, Johohohe! Hoe! Hoe! (Chorus)
11. Act III Scene 8: Was musst’ ich horen (Erik, Senta)
12. Act III Scene 8: Cavatina: Willst jenes Tags du nicht dich mehr entsinnen (Erik)
13. Act III Scene 8: Finale: Verloren! Ach, verloren! Ewig verlor’nes Heil! (Hollander, Erik, Senta)
14. Act III Scene 8: Erfahre das Geschick, vor dem ich dich bewahr’! (Hollander, Erik, Senta, Daland, Mary, Chorus)
Launching a new complete Wagner cycle comprising all Wagner’s 10 major operas, these were all recorded over a period of 4 years in the Philharmonie in Berlin and all use the same forces of the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester and Chor. Conducted by Marek Janowski and performed by a top line up of soloists, this is unique recording feat in a complete Wagner series.
In preparation for the Wagner bicentennial in 2013, Marek Janowski and Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester and Rundfunkchor Berlin began an ambitious project of recording the composer’s ten major operas for Pentatone with Der fliegende Holländer in 2010. The recording’s strongest points are the stellar performances by the orchestra and chorus; there’s real fire and passion in their playing and singing. This is not Wagner’s most dramatically coherent opera, but Janowski manages to keep the momentum going and the big moments are genuinely stirring. The leads are mostly very fine but not consistently memorable; the general lack of real distinction keeps this from being a contender as a top-ranked recording of the opera. Daland has been a signature role for Matti Salminen, who delivers the strongest performance among the leads; his characterization is sharply and vividly realized, and while his noble voice shows its age, it’s appropriate for the role. As the Dutchman, Albert Dohmen has a vocal quality not sufficiently differentiated from Salminen’s, and although his singing is never less than adequate, he fails to convey the character’s mythic dimensions. Ricarda Merbeth as Senta has a voice that’s large enough for the part but that’s somewhat hard and inflexible, and that fails to generate much sympathy for her character. Robert Dean Smith usually sounds strained as Erik, except in his relatively rare quiet passages. The singer who makes the strongest and most lingering impression is Steve Davislim in the small role of the Steersman. The sound is clean, full, and nicely nuanced.